← Table of contents
Fiue hundred pointes of good husbandrie

49.

Reading edition

A lesson for dairie maid Cisley, of ten toppings gests.[E292]

(a) As wife that will good husband plese, Must shun with skill such gests as these. (b) So Cisse that serues must marke this note, What fault deserues a brushed cote. ¶ Ten toppings gests vnsent for. (c) Gehezie, Lots wife, and Argusses eies,[E293] Tom piper, poore Cobler, and Lazarus thies, Rough Esau, with Mawdlin, and Gentils that scrall, With Bishop that burneth, thus knowe ye them all.[1] (d) These toppingly gests be in number but ten, As welcome in dairie as Beares among men. Which being descried, take heede of[2] you shall, For danger of after claps, after that fall. ¶ White and drie. 1 Gehezie his sicknes was whitish and drie, such cheeses, good Cisley, ye floted[3] too nie.[E294] Too salt. 2 Leaue Lot with her piller (good Cisley) alone, much saltnes in whitemeat is ill for the stone. Full of eies. 3 If cheeses in dairie haue Argusses eies, tell Cisley the fault in hir huswiferie lies.[4][E295] Houen. 4 Tom Piper hath houen and puffed vp cheekes, if cheese be so houen, make Cisse to seeke creekes.[E296] Tough. 5 Poore Cobler he tuggeth his leatherlie trash, if cheese abide tugging, tug Cisley a crash.[E297] Full of spots. 6 If Lazer[5] so lothsome in cheese be espied, let baies amend Cisley, or shift hir aside.[E298] Full of heares. 7 Rough Esau was hearie from top to the fut, if cheese so appeareth, call Cisley a slut.[E299] Full of whey. 8 As Mawdlin wept, so would Cisley be drest, for whey in hir cheeses, not halfe inough prest. Full of gentils. 9 If gentils be scrauling, call magget the py,[E300] if cheeses haue gentils, at Cisse by and by. Burnt to the pan. 10 Blesse Cisley (good mistris) that Bishop doth ban for burning the milke of hir cheese to the pan.[E301] [11] If thou (so oft beaten)[6] Amendest by this: I will no more threaten, I promise thee Cis. [12] Thus dairie maid Cisley, rehearsed ye see, what faults with ill huswife, in dairie house bee. Of market abhorred, to houshold a griefe, to maister and mistris, as ill as a thiefe.

Thus endeth Aprils husbandrie.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · Compare with Tusser's description of the faults to be avoided in the making of cheese the following extracts on the same subject: "Now what Note 2 · "Argusses eies." The mythical Argus, surnamed Panoptes (the All-seer), had a hundred eyes; he was placed by Juno to guard Io, and at his deaNote 3 · With bishop that turneth and burneth up all. 1573 (M.) and 1577.Note 4 · if. 1577.Note 5 · "Floting is taking off the Cream."—T.R.Note 6 · To fleet or skim the cream is a verb still in use in East Anglia, and the utensil used for the purpose is termed a fleeting-dish. "I flete mNote 7 · "Because she did not work the Curd well together."—T.R.Note 8 · If cheeses are full of eyes, it is a proof that the curd was not properly worked.Note 9 · Hoven cheese is occasioned by negligence in breaking the curd; and therefore Cisley deserves to be driven to creeks, or holes and corners, fNote 10 · Tough or leathery cheese may arise from its being set too hot, or not worked up, and the curd broken in proper time.—M.Note 11 · "An inner corruption.... Chiefly occasioned from their using milk soon after calving."—T.R.Note 12 · Various causes may bring on corruption in cheese, such as the use of beastings, or milk immediately after calving, moisture, bruises and sucNote 13 · Hairs in cheese can only arise from inexcusable carelessness, or from Cisley's combing and decking her hair in the dairy.Note 14 · Magget the py = the magpie, a pun on the word magget, in its two meanings of 1. a maggot, 2. a magpie, commonly called in Prov. Eng. magot-pNote 15 · "Cisley, in running after the Bishop in passing, as was the practice in former times, in order to obtain his blessing, might accidentally leNote 16 · Amend so oft beaten for doing amisse. 1577.
Explore with AITake your curiosity a little further.

Reading settings